not all who wander are lost

After days in the stunning Appalachian mountain ranges we find ourselves on flat ground in Asheville North Carolina. Not only have we found showers and a hostel to crash at and rejuvenate but our electronics work again! Not having a phone or internet access for days at a time was refreshing but without a doubt missed. Beginning in Virginia, just hours from Sterling, John and I found the Starline Drive. This mountain road winds all the way through the peaks of the mountains presenting stunning views to both the east and west. We wathced the sunset on the mounains and saw more stars in the sky that night than I knew existed. During the star gazing I witnessed my first and second and third (and so on) shooting stars! As the sunrose we watched the blue mountains light up and munched on all the wonderful fresh fruit Aunt Elia packed us. Thank you!! The first mountain chain is the Shenandoah National Park and is 105 miles. It took us a few days to drive through. About every half mile there is a pull off spot with spectaular views. There are also many hiking trails and visitor centers. At first I was very nervous about seeing a bear but we attended an informational talk by a park ranger and learned proper bear etiquette. The very next day I saw a bear while we were hiking! John has seen two others as well. No worries though, we remembered to make lots of noise and the bears just run away. I really hope that's as close as we get to the big fuzzy guys.
Before ascending onto Skyline Drive we made a stop at Harper's Ferry. The once booming trade town was really neat and we hiked to Jeffersons rock and picnicked. The town was the spot where Lewis and Clark actaully stocked up prior to their trip west. While we didn't buy riffles or dried ham portions we did soak up some history and enjoyed the beauitful view from atop the town.
While exploring Shenandoah National Park we saw turkey, mice, deer, bears, racoons, beavers, and quite a few tourists as we approached the weekend. The speedlimit is 45 throughout most of the park and becuase of its' winding nature the road can be very dangerous with deer always wandering out onto the pavement. So we took it slow and really absorbed the beauty. The Skyline Drive leads right into the next mountain chain The Blue Ridge Parkway. We took this road and camped in the woods there as well. Standing atop the mountains looking out over the valleys and seeing at some points up to 7 mountain chains in the distance is truely a majestic and powerful experience. You can feel our creator and explore the worlds oldest mountain chain while up there. I will tell you though that the less you pack on your back the easier the hike. Sounds simple enough but I learned the hard way after hiking miles with a 30-40 some pound pack on my back. And I will never again take for granted a glass of ice cold water!
We have spent the last 2 days in beautiful Asheville at a local hostel. The people are really nice here and it felt nice to sleep on a matress and have running water (yay! showers and electricity)
Our six month anniversary came about while on the Blueridge Parkway. That night we came across a look out pull off that held a magnificent lightening storm off in the distance. We watched as the silent lightening bolts stretched across miles and miles ... the sight was beauitful and an experience words cannot describe. What a wonderful date!
Next we're off to the Smokey Mountains and then its westward! Sending my best wishes and love to everyone!